Give each request its own record
Use a note or spreadsheet you control. Record the business name, website, request method, date and time, and the choice you made. If a form produces a confirmation number, keep it. If you used a browser signal, note the browser and settings.
Use these five fields
- Business and website address.
- Action: form, email, account setting, or GPC signal.
- Scope: the exact wording describing what you opted out of.
- Confirmation: screen, message, or reference number.
- Follow up: response date, explanation, and any open question.
Separate an opt out from deletion
Stopping a particular sale or sharing practice and asking a business to delete stored information are different requests. Keep the request wording instead of calling every privacy action “deletion.” That helps a reviewer understand what you actually asked the company to do.
Do not guess about compliance
An ad appearing later is not by itself proof that a company ignored your request. Save the observation and its date. A technical or legal review may be needed to connect it to a particular data practice. Avoid entering extra private information to provoke a response.
Find the official next step
CalPrivacy’s request guide describes how to locate business instructions, submit a request, and raise a concern if the response is missing or seems wrong. Keep a copy of anything you submit. A regulator complaint and a private legal claim are separate questions.
Go to the source
Official resources for the facts discussed here. Checked October 5, 2026.